If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

I just quoted someone Gringo prices

As an architect I have had numerous Asian clients. Some from Korea, some from Vietnam. One or two of them have been great folks, very cool to deal with, but most have been a pain in the ass. I've dealt with foreign accents and cultures all my life, all kinds, but at a certain point if you're going to try to do business with me and your English is so bad you need your daughter to translate, and her English is almost as bad, then I'm sorry but I'll have to charge you extra for wear and tear on my brain. And no, I will not give you a "special" price, a fraction of market value and not enough to pay bills with. Why would I do that? That's what every one of them asks me, though.

The last one wanted a nail salon drawn up. He got my name from an Albanian plaster contractor who seems to like me because I tolerate him. Nice guy, but doesn't know a beam from a column. Seems Mr. Plaster took it upon himself to provide a fee quote on my behalf, without my knowledge. So when Mr. Nails came to me with his sketches, he was rather shocked at my actual fee proposal. I told if I did it for Mr. Plaster's fee, he'd get what he pays for, which is bare bones minimal. He didn't like that. But there was no way in hell I could produce what he wanted for the price he was willing to pay.

Nails said there was some company in Kansas City who just did drawings for a salon here for about half my fee, so I told him to hire them.

This wasn't the first time - a Korean guy whose business card only says "Handyman" recently wanted me to draw up additions to a house he'd bought. The house was a piece of crap, literally falling down. Gutted, total junk. I tried to give him a fair price to help him out, but even my fair price was far more than he could stomach, so he disappeared.

After Nails, I decided no more "helping people out." So this morning a lady with a thick Asian accent who talked way faster than I could listen, called me to ask how much it would cost to design a 3,000 square foot house for her father, here in town. I maxed out the fee as a percentage of construction cost, and exaggerated the construction cost. Not a lot, just to cover the possibility that they wanted some outlandishly complex house that would be hard to design. She did the math in her head, thanked me, and I felt comfortable that I'd never hear from her again.

Besides, I'm rather busy these days and have little patience with tedious people.

Re: I just quoted someone Gringo prices

I flagged a taxi down in Matagalpa the other day, he pulled over towards me, took a good look, then shook his finger no and drove off. At first it pissed me off. I was thinking he just didn't like gringos or something like that. Later I got thinking, he was probably in his mid 50 fifties and didn't want to deal with someone that spoke half ass english. I laughed about it and thought I really can't blame him.

Re: I just quoted someone Gringo prices

Originally Posted by Wade

I flagged a taxi down in Matagalpa the other day, he pulled over towards me, took a good look, then shook his finger no and drove off. At first it pissed me off. I was thinking he just didn't like gringos or something like that. Later I got thinking, he was probably in his mid 50 fifties and didn't want to deal with someone that spoke half ass english. I laughed about it and thought I really can't blame him.

Re: I just quoted someone Gringo prices

About 30 years ago a bunch us were camping on the beach. My friends parked too close and when the tide come in it was over their wheels. His girl argued with the tow truck driver about the price and he just doubled it.

Re: I just quoted someone Gringo prices

Originally Posted by randude

About 30 years ago a bunch us were camping on the beach. My friends parked too close and when the tide come in it was over their wheels. His girl argued with the tow truck driver about the price and he just doubled it.

You don't bargain over price when you are stranded on a deserted island, the girl friend was probably jewish

Re: I just quoted someone Gringo prices

You don't bargain over price when you are stranded on a deserted island, the girl friend was probably jewish

I typed that message with my phone so it was sort of brief. They slept in the canopy in the back of their truck and woke to waves tossing the truck around.

In that location they have tow truck drivers that just pull people back in that have misjudged the tide. The fee was $35 at the time. She kept saying $35 over and over in a snide tone and the man just flatly stated $70. She shut up after that.

The fallout from that experience followed them for a couple years after that where salt water got into all kinds of important stuff like brakes and bearings. Eventually it caused the body to rust.

Re: I just quoted someone Gringo prices

Originally Posted by Wade

I flagged a taxi down in Matagalpa the other day, he pulled over towards me, took a good look, then shook his finger no and drove off. At first it pissed me off. I was thinking he just didn't like gringos or something like that. Later I got thinking, he was probably in his mid 50 fifties and didn't want to deal with someone that spoke half ass english. I laughed about it and thought I really can't blame him.

I noticed when I first moved here that people would look dismayed when I pulled out my Spanish phrase book. Once you get to market Spanish, things are cool. And sometimes, people aren't going that way, or want to make sure you're cool with dropping off another passenger first (always, that shows me parts of Jinotega I probably wouldn't have gone to on foot). For getting home, I have a little map in my notebook, but I live near a landmark so we start with that.